More than two years after being shut down due to COVID-19, a unique, border-straddling park on the line between British Columbia and Washington state has finally reopened.
The only area in North America where people from both Canada and the United States can congregate without doing so is Peace Arch Park.
The Canadian section of the park has been off-limits since June 18, 2020, despite the words “May these gates never be closed” being inscribed into the white arch that gives the park its name.
The Canadian government shuttered the British Columbia section of the park because to fears about the virus amid an increase in tourists, although the American portion of the park remained open for the most of the pandemic.
However, since nearly all COVID-19 border restrictions have been lifted since September, both specialists and the general public have questioned why the park remains closed.
When BC Parks reopened the park to guests on Monday, that situation altered.
The Canadian Border Services Agency, Semiahmoo First Nation, and numerous other organisations have been working with BC Parks on reopening preparations, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Environment.
The park was closed for a considerable amount of time because it was difficult to check that visitors were complying with border entry rules because of the open aspect of the Peace Arch Park.
Residents on neighbouring Zero Avenue should be happy about the park’s reopening.
The American side of the park, which can only be accessed by crossing a ditch next to the residential street, has drawn complaints from those locals regarding parking and traffic from tourists.
Peace Arch Park in British Columbia reopens after more than two years.
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